


The Beginning of Again

by justanotherjen



Category: Girl Genius (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Family Drama, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Kid Fic, Loneliness, Pre-Canon, Regret, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 12:52:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15972689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherjen/pseuds/justanotherjen
Summary: Eight-year-old Gil Holzfäller has made a few mistakes in his short, miserable life but none as far-reaching as getting his best friend expelled from his life.





	The Beginning of Again

“Where are we going?” Gil asked the Baron. His little legs struggled to keep pace with the giant of a man next to him. His father. The thought baffled and terrified him in equal parts.

The Baron remained silent for several long seconds before finally answering. He sounded tired. “Your new quarters.”

Gil clutched his bag—filled with his few worldly possessions—tighter to his chest and tried to look around without looking like he was looking around. He had no idea where they were, and that said a lot considering how much of Castle Wulfenbach he’d explored over the years. There were few doors in the empty corridor and those weren’t marked in any way. How did the Baron even know where they were going?

They took several more turns leaving Gil to wonder if he was purposefully being led in circles so he’d be lost. He wasn’t sure if that’s something the Baron would do. It was something the other boys in the school would do. It’s how Gil got to be so good at getting around the ship. Necessity is the mother of invention, von Pinn had told him. Or in this case, a good sense of direction.

“Gilgamesh,” the Baron said sternly, “do keep up.”

Gil jumped at the sound of his voice and hurried to catch up. “Am I being punished?” he asked after a moment.

“No. Why would you say that?”

“Um, because-” Because I have no idea where we are and you might be taking me somewhere to be murdered or kept prisoner. “-we’re really far from the school. We’re not supposed to be over here.”

The Baron actually smiled at him. “That has never stopped you before.”

Gil swallowed hard. How did he know about that? Did Tarvek tell him after Gil was dismissed last night? The thought of Tarvek sent a sharp pain through his chest that settled in his belly like a lead weight. _He_ _’s using you, son, don’t you understand that?_ the Baron had told him. Gil didn’t want to believe it, but it did make some sense. Why would a prince want to be friends with an orphan anyway?

Not an orphan, though.

But Tarvek didn’t know that. Did he?

They slowed to a stop in front of one of the many unmarked doors. “Here. These will be your new quarters,” said the Baron. He opened the door and gestured for Gil to enter. “I believe they will be more than adequate for your needs.”

Gil peeked inside. No cages or torture devices to be seen. Just a large bedroom with the biggest bed Gil had ever seen, a sitting area, private bath, and what looked like a laboratory through another doorway. Gil took a tentative step into the room to see one wall lined with bookshelves and an actual window with a cushioned seat below it. They were on the outer edge of the ship. Those rooms were reserved for officers and guests. Important people.

Gil was so confused he didn’t even know which questions to ask first. The Baron simply watched him from the door like he was some kind of experiment to observe. Maybe he was.

“Is this to your satisfaction, son.”

Gil winced but covered quickly. “It’s very nice, sir. But what about school. I don’t even know how to get back-”

“From now on, you’ll be tutored here by myself and Madame von Pinn.”

“Alone?”

The Baron finally came into the room, hands clasped behind his back, to inspect the contents. “You did say the other children were bullying you, did you not?”

Yeah, but that’s been going on for years, Gil thought. Now you care? Anger bubbled up, but he pushed it back down. What did he care if he went back to the school? There was nothing there for him now. And just like that, another weight crashed into his stomach.

“What’s going to happen to Tarvek?” he blurted before he could think better of it.

The Baron turned, one eyebrow raised. Sweat popped up down the back of Gil’s neck, but he resisted the urge to take a step back. This was his father, right? The Baron wouldn’t hurt him, would he? But he didn’t know what a father was and what he would or wouldn’t do. Still, he stood his ground, chin up.

“Prince Sturmvoraous is no longer a student at this school,” he said simply, turning back to the bookshelf he’d been inspecting.

“You threw him out!” Panic swelled in Gil’s chest, forcing out all the air. “But-”

“But what? He was caught in a restricted area, gathering confidential information on the other students.”

“Yeah, but-”

“He was spying.”

“So are all the other kids! And I was caught in a restricted area, too. You’re not kicking me out.”

The Baron sighed, finally giving his undivided attention to Gil. “I know this must be difficult for you to understand being so young.”

Gil glared. “I understand. Everyone spies but only Tarvek is punished.” He glanced around his room. There were no bars, but it was a prison nonetheless. “And I get locked up.” He turned away to hide the rush of tears.

“Son-”

Gil folded in on himself at the word. The Baron wasn’t his father. Couldn’t be. He refused to believe it. His parents were farmers, and they died when he was a baby. It was sad but that’s life. This... this was a dream. A bad dream that he couldn’t wake from. And it was all his own fault. It had been his idea to go looking for the records. He was the one that got them into the vault. He was the one that snitched on Tarvek, getting him expelled.

The Baron said something else, but Gil couldn’t hear it through the buzzing in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and wished him away. It never worked with the bullies but maybe... The door clicked softly shut followed by the clank of a lock engaging. Gil let out a sob and hugged his bag to his chest.

He was alone.

Again.

**Author's Note:**

> Possibly the beginning of a longer series about Gil and Tarvek as children in the aftermath of the vault incident.


End file.
